HOUSING NEWS REPORT STRATEGY
HOME-SELLING IN WINTER
Busting the Seasonal Home-Selling Myth SELLING YOUR HOME IN THE WINTER MAY BE BETTER THAN YOU REALIZE.
by Sherry Kitzman
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n my work as a real estate broker, I hear from sellers every year asking, “Should we wait until spring to sell our home?” My answer is always the same: people buy homes in all months of the year. If you are ready to sell, you should put your home on the market. In fact, the winter months have traditional- ly been my busiest time of the year. Here are some of the reasons why winter is actually a great time to sell a property: Winter buyers are usually serious buyers. I have driven through snowstorms show- ing homes because my clients flew in for a couple days to look at homes and we did not have time to wait for better weather. Only someone serious is willing to do that! Businesses often reorganize at the end of the year. Many companies handle reorganiza- tions and management changes at the end of the year, which generates a lot of relocations during the first of the year. These buyers are usually on a short time- frame and need to find a home quickly. They cannot wait several months for
more homes to come on the market. The internet has made it easy to search from the warmth of your home. With the internet today, buyers can search for properties any time, day or night. Buyers can sit in the comfort of their own home and search whenever it is convenient for them. And often, buyers are looking at homes during their time off for the holidays. Pro tip: I advise my sellers that their first showing is when the buyer looks at their home on the internet. The pictures sellers post are very important. If you decide to sell in the winter, there are a few things you need to consider: • Keep your exterior lights on in the evening so that buyers and agents can safely walk to the door. It gets dark earlier, so if you can prepare your home for showings, turn all the lights on so the buyer can walk into a bright and shiny home. It also makes the home look warm and
inviting as you drive up.
• If the weather is bad, keep the walks cleared and put mats at the door for shoes. • For homes that have a wonderful yard or other gorgeous view that show best in the summer months, you can leave pictures on a table for the buyer to check out while touring the home. • Most importantly, let the buyers tour. If you want to sell in the winter, you must allow showings. If you are planning a lot of entertaining and your schedule will be too restrictive to be able to let buyers see your home, I would recommend waiting for a less busy time! •
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Sherry Kitzman is the Brokerage Manager at Think Realty Real Estate Services. She's been a realtor in Missouri and Kansas for 16 years. Learn more at
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46 | think realty magazine :: january / february 2019
thinkrealty . com | 47
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